by Pirateaba
“Shut up. I’m still sorry. But yeah, there’s a big difference. I mean, sure most humans can’t tell us apart, but the lizardfolk live near water and can breathe underwater too, some of them. Whereas we Drakes like drier climates. We enjoy warm sun, open spaces…”
“Nice rocks to laze about upon while we should be performing our duties.”
“You’re just an overgrown ant. You be quiet. Anyways, we’re special. Those guys are just amphibians that learned to walk on two legs. We’re related to Dragons. We’ve got special powers.”
“Like what?”
“We can breathe fire.”
Relc sat back and folded his arms with a triumphant grin. Erin and Klbkch stared at him in silence.
“What? It’s a great power!”
“I’m sure it is.”
“Yeah. That sounds amazing. Really…really cool!”
Relc nudged Klbkch.
“See? She gets it. Told you it was cool.”
“Yeah, it’s awesome.”
Erin grinned and gave him a thumbs up. Then she winced in regret. She’d used her bad hand.
“Ooh, nasty. What happened there?”
“What, this? It’s nothing, it—”
Klbkch stood up suddenly. Erin flinched, but he raised two of his spindly arms.
“Please, I mean no harm. But your hand. May I see it?”
Erin hesitated. Then she slowly extended her hand. On the outside her bandage was grey and red with congealed blood. Some dripped to the floor.
He, if it was a he, inspected her hand carefully. Then he looked up.
“Again, apologies. But could I trouble you to remove the bandage?”
Erin hesitated. But then she slowly unwrapped her hand. And flinched. The pain that had been slumbering in her hand suddenly flared, and something dripped to the floor.
It was yellowish white pus. It dripped from her wound. And the wound itself was different. Instead of the thin red line it had changed. Parts of the injury were darker red and—Erin looked away.
Relc hissed softly. However, Klbkch made no sound. He inspected her wound for a few seconds, his antennae moving slowly and then looked at her.
“Yeah. Um, yeah.”
Erin tried to breathe. Her hand was suddenly burning.
“It—sorry, it’s a mess. I cut my hand and I guessed it just got infected, but—”
“It is not an infection.”
“What?”
“It is poison. Of a sort.”
“You sure? It doesn’t feel like—”
“There is a fish in the rivers near here. It secretes a mucus that damages the area it touches. Such as in this case. I have seen several similar afflictions as a guardman.”
“You have? I mean, it’s not an infection?”
Erin was trembling. The insect man held her gently.
“Please, do not be alarmed. This is treatable. Allow me.”
He reached down. Erin looked and saw him pull something out of a belt pouch at his waist. She blinked as he held up a bottle full of a shimmering, emerald-green liquid.
“This is a low-grade healing potion. If you pour it over your injury it should heal your affliction.”
Gently, Klbkch uncorked the bottle and held it out to Erin. She accepted it gingerly, but hesitated.
“This is—I mean, is it safe? For humans?”
Klbkch and Relc both nodded. Relc was eying his partner but the ant man was intent.
“Please, believe me. It will heal you.”
Erin stared into his eyes. They were compound eyes, large ones. Brown and fractal. Like and ant’s. And they were creepy as hell, but Erin decided she could still trust them.
She gripped the potion tightly in her left hand and poured it slowly over the open wound on her right hand. She gasped in shock.
“Are you alright?”
“It—it doesn’t hurt!”
Relc snorted gently. IT sounded like a leaf blower starting up.
“Of course not. Why wound anyone make a healing potion that hurts when you use it? But look at that!”
He pointed. Erin’s eyes went down to the cut in her hand. It was closing up with amazing speed. The flesh was joining together and in an instant, the entire cut vanished. She gaped.
Klbkch plucked the half-empty bottle from her hands before she dropped it. She was too busy poking at her hand to realize, but when he’d stoppered the bottle she turned and gave him a huge hug.
“Thank you—ow!”
“Appologies. It is unwise to hug those with exoskeletons. Please, are you hurt?”
Erin stood back and rubbed at where his pointy bits had poked her.
“No, no I’m not. And how can I—I can’t thank you enough. That—that was a healing potion, right? How can I replay you for—”
She cast around for something to give him but Klbkch held up once of his…hands.
“Please, it was nothing. That was merely a low-grade healing potion of no great worth. Let us call it payment for the meal. Unless of course you object?”
“Oh no, thank you. I mean, this is probably worth—can I get you another plate? Or—or you could come back. I’ll feed you two again if you want—”
“I will accept gladly. But for now I am full, and I believe it is time to be going. We would not wish to intrude upon your hospitality for too long.”
Relc paused as he gulped down more blue fruit juice.
“We wouldn’t?”
“We are still on duty, if you recall. The Captain will be expecting a report. If we do return, we will have more time to socialize.”
“Or, and hear me out. Or…we could have more food and stay here longer.”
“I am sure you would prefer that. But we are being paid to work, not to enjoy ourselves. Moreover you are eating all of this human’s dinner.”
Relc glanced at the table. He stood up immediately.
“Right. Well, let’s be going. Um, sorry about that Miss. Here, let me just pay for the food…”
Erin tried to protest but a scaly hand prized hers open gently and deposited several copper coins and two silver ones into her palm.
“I insist. That blue drink is really good by the way.”
“Thanks.”
“Well, we’ll be off then. Good night to you.”
The two left the inn. Erin watched them go. She went to go sit down and sat on the floor. And stayed still for another hour.
—-
Relc and Klbkch left the inn. They began walking through the grass under the night sky. It was cool, but both moved quickly. Each one scanned the landscape as they walked and kept their hands on the spear and sword at their sides. They weren’t nervous; just wary.
After a while Relc spoke.
“What a lonely girl.”
“Is it female? I couldn’t tell.”
“I can. It’s the mammary glands.”
“Breasts, I think they’re referred to. Or maybe the word is tits.”
“Really? I thought those were birds.”
“That’s what I heard some small humans saying once. But she’s female. And young, correct?”
“Yeah, I’d bet on it. I’m not sure why a human would be out here anyways, let alone in that place.”
“Inquiring into other’s personal affairs is only a matter for the Guards while we’re on duty. Respecting another’s personal space is a principle of social interaction.”
“Shut up. She just seems lonely, that’s all. Why else would a human female want to hang out with a Drake and an overgrown bug?”
Klbkch was silent for a while.
“Do you believe she is a lawbreaker or fearful for her life?”
“Even if she was, who’d hide there? You’d have to be mad, or maybe a mage or priest to risk that.”
“True. But at least we are certain it’s safe now. She would be dead within the day if it were still deadly.”
“Bet she didn’t know. And her expression when we walked in—she’s never seen a Drake or an Insect
before in her life.”
“I would prefer that you call my species by their proper name.”
“What do you think? I bet she’s some kind of runaway, or a child that got lost separated from her clan.”
“…”
“Fine. Antinium. Happy?”
“Her being a runaway would be most likely. I find it hard to believe any human would wander so far into the grasslands by accident and she did not seem to be looking for directions.”
“Bastard.”
“You are correct in at least one definition of the word. But speculation is pointless in any case. We investigated the smoke and now we can make our report. She is not breaking the law in any case since the inn was abandoned nearly three years ago.”
“Right, right. Let’s tell the Captain and get some sleep. Or rather, I’ll sleep and you do your creepy standing hibernation thing.”
“Agreed. And it is very restful. You should attempt it sometime.”
“Pass.”
…
The two walked in silence for quite some time. The road back to the city was long, and in any case they were still alert for potential dangers that might be sneaking up on them. Not that either had much to fear from most predators so long as they kept their eyes and earholes open, but you never knew.
After a long time Klbkch broke the silence.
“So, shall we return tomorrow?”
“Oh, definitely. Right after work?”
“We may be able to fit checking in there as part of our duties if we convince the Captain it is necessary.”
Relc slapped Klbkch on the back of his exoskeleton. “Now you’re thinking like a Drake.”
“I will endeavor not to in the future.”
“Go roast yourself.”
They walked on for another few minutes until Relc broke the silence again.
“So, a lesser healing potion of no worth, huh?”
“Would you have had me tell her the true value?”
“No, no. It’s for the best. Mind you, I think she figured it out.”
“…Perhaps.”
“How are you going to explain that to the Captain, huh?”
“I will deduct the cost from my pay. Besides which, it was used to protect a civilian.”
“You’re a regular saint, huh? Trying to level up your [Saint] class?”
“You know fully well that I have no levels in any class of the kind. I was merely being kind.”
“Sure, suuuure you were.”
“I have no sexual attraction towards humans. Unlike you.”
“Me? I don’t like humans. They’re scaleless, hairy, and they smell funny. I mean, this one’s nice but I definitely wouldn’t want to see what it looks like under those clothes.”
“Mm. It’s not very interesting. They are very fleshy.”
“Ew.”
“Indeed.”
“So, wanna go back tomorrow?”
“Are we not working that day?”
“Bite me. That’s true.”
“We could go after work if we left right away, however.”
“Ooh, good point! It wouldn’t be that dark by then.”
The two walked on in silence. Eventually Relc spoke again.
“It’s not that I’m not interested, mind you. I have an open mind. I wouldn’t mind looking. If I was offered. They’ve got nothing on good scales, but I could get over the fleshiness. Maybe.”
“Deviant.”
“Shut up.”
“She was quite nice in any case. It was pleasant talking to her.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m glad we didn’t have to kill her.”
“Indeed.”
—-
Erin sat against one wall. She was falling asleep. She wanted to run around screaming about lizardmen—Drakes, walking ants, and a crazy world but that was passé. Besides, she’d already done that for a few hours anyway.
Her mind was swimming. Her eyes were drooping. Erin was about to fall asleep. But her hand didn’t hurt. So she was smiling.
At last her mind finally blanked. Erin’s breathing deepened, her eyes closed. She slept.
[Innkeeper Level 5!]
[Skill – Basic Crafting obtained!]
“…Just let me sleep.”
1.08
Erin woke up with a big smile on her face.
Actually, she woke up and went back to sleep several times before the sunlight got too bright to ignore. But when she eventually got up and ate breakfast she got around to the big smile.
It came when she was eating more blue fruit and she realized she was using two hands. Erin had to stop and stare at her right palm for a while. She poked the clean, unscarred, uncut skin and grinned.
“Healing potions are awesome.”
She sat back in her chair, flexing her hands. It didn’t hurt. It was amazing how much it didn’t hurt. And she owed it all to a giant ant man and a lizard…Drake. What were their names again?
“Klbkch and…Drake Guy.”
Erin sighed as the memories returned and gave her a hard time.
“Seriously. They were so normal. But apparently I’m normal too. There are other humans around here at least. But leveling? Classes? Am I an Innkeeper? Do I innkeep? How does that work?”
Then she remembered something else.
“I leveled up again.”
Erin poked her chest. She felt there should be some sense of accomplishment from within, but all she felt was vaguely full. But she remembered.
“[Basic Crafting]. Might as well give it a shot. I’m out of fruit, anyways.”
—-
It was an uneventful trip to the blue fruit trees. As Erin gazed up at the blue fruits she wondered for the first time how many there were left to eat. She counted.
“…Looks like I’ve got a few weeks before I run out. But bleh, eating just blue fruit all the time would be disgusting. At least there’s some ingredients left for pasta if I can find more eggs.”
But what would happen when her small cupboard ran out? What then?
Erin touched the pocket of her jeans and heard the clink of coins. Right, she had some money. But how much was it? And more importantly, how could she spend it? It wasn’t as if she could eat metal.
Grumbling to herself, Erin loaded up with blue fruits. It was getting annoying carrying them all by hand. She dropped a lot of them which bruised the skin and made the fruit taste mushy. So why not try making something?
Erin stared at the ground. She had…grass. She stared at the trees. She had wood. But she had no way of cutting that wood, so it was no good. She stared at the grass. Something in her brain lit up.
“Let’s see. If I take this long grass and tie this knot here…”
Erin hunkered down and started picking the longer clumps of grass and testing their durability. She started tying knots and cutting with the knife. She found she had to focus on her task – she couldn’t just go on autopilot, but at the same time there was a certainty in what she was doing. And in less than twenty minutes she was looking at a basket made of grass.
“Whoa.”
Erin held up the basket and inspected it. It was lightweight, but durable. She experimentally tossed all the blue fruits she’d gathered into it and lifted it. The grass basket pulled downwards, but the woven handle didn’t tear. It was a real basket. Made of grass.
Was it tacky? Yes. Did she feel like she should be dancing with pom poms on a deserted island? Yes. Was that a terrible thought to have? Probably. And should she feel ashamed of herself? She already was. But she had a basket.
And more importantly, she had a plan.
What could you do with a basket? Well, you could eat and walk at the same time since you had a free hand. Erin cored a few blue fruits and hung on to the seed pods. Then she went looking for eggs.
It took her about an hour before she found another nest. When she spotted the telltale brown shape hunkering in the long grass, Erin stomped over making as much noise as possible.
This time t
he thing that erupted from the grass didn’t fly away immediately. Instead, the dino-bird screeched and dove at her. Erin stood her ground, reached into her basket and threw a seed core.
She missed.
But the flying object spooked the bird. The giant pterodactyl wavered, and then flew away as Erin hurled more seed cores at it. She laughed triumphantly and rushed to grab the eggs. That was when the bird turned around and flew at her, pecking and trying to bite her. It wasn’t afraid of the seed cores after all.
—-
Only when she was sure that the dino-bird had gone did Erin stop running. She stopped and covered one of the numerous bloody peck marks on her arms and back and tried not to shout.
“Stupid thing.”
At least it hadn’t been bigger. Erin had managed to smack it a few times until it stopped trying to bite her face off. But that didn’t mean she’d gotten away unscathed.
Erin hissed as she pressed on another bite. She wanted nothing more than to get some cold water on them. Too bad there were more suspicious rocks in the way. Actually, there were about six of them, spaced out across the grasslands. Well, her trick hadn’t worked on the birds but rock-crabs were a different matter.
On her way back Erin pasted two of the rock crabs with the slimy seed cores when they shuffled at her. They didn’t like the noxious liquid that splashed their shells and retreated with loud clicks. Erin wiped off the foul-smelling juice from her hands and walked past the herd triumphantly.
—-
It was just past midday when Erin got back to the inn. At least she’d stopped bleeding on her walk back. She made it halfway through the inn’s door, blinked, and threw up.
Erin stopped gagging and retching long enough to stare at the pool of liquefied blue fruit in horror. Then she was sick again. And again.
Somehow, Erin made it to the stream. It was combination of walking fast and pausing every few minutes to throw up that got her there. She didn’t so much as jump into the stream as fall into it and began shivering as whatever was hitting her really went to town.
—-
The next hour saw her kneeling at the stream, gargling water, puking it up, and watching out for the crazy fish. Fortunately, they didn’t seem inclined to get near her. Actually, she saw one swim towards her and start nibbling at the contents of her stomach as it washed downstream. That was gross.